Death toll in Brazil bridge collapse rises to 5

A 60-year-old man injured in a bridge collapse in Rio de Janeiro died on Wednesday, rasing the death toll from the accident to five, Brazilian officials said.

Luiz Carlos Guimarães sustained head injuries when the bridge fell on his automobile on Tuesday.

The accident occurred when a truck hit the pedestrian bridge, which spanned the Linea Amarilla, a highway that links the northern and western sections of Rio de Janeiro.

The pedestrian bridge collapsed when a dump truck traveling with its bed up hit the structure after entering a lane on which vehicles taller than 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) are not allowed.

Two pedestrians were killed when they were thrown from the bridge into a canal that runs along the side of the highway.

A vehicle traveling on the road also ended up in the canal, the fire department said.

Three automobiles and a motorcycle were crushed by the collapsing bridge, with chunks of concrete and pieces of steel scattered across eight lanes of traffic, Linea Amarilla operator Lamsa said.

The other victims died in two of the vehicles crushed by the collapsing structure.

Residents of the Rato Molhado favela, or "shantytown," and people headed to Norte Shopping, the largest shopping center in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro, used the pedestrian bridge to cross the busy highway.

Officials were forced to shut down the Linea Amarilla in both directions, causing massive traffic jams across Rio de Janeiro during Tuesday's morning rush hour. EFE